The Costco Golf Ball Controversy

I guess the main question is simply this: Are Costco’s golf balls good enough?

I ask this considering how I last played at a course where the rough seemed to eat up and swallow any golf ball not well tracked from off the tee. My uncle lost at least 6 balls amid the tall and bushy grass. He plays Callaway.

Pricing Matters

Golf is a sport that seems to eat away at any budget that isn’t limitless.

It isn’t like basketball or football, even soccer, where all you need is a ball or something that resembles the form of a ball. Even the cult classic “The Sandlot” taught us that all you need is a ball when things come unraveled.

Not so with golf.

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I’m not talking about golf club members or SCGA tournament schleps on this one. I’m talking about guys who work hard throughout the week and take one or two weekend afternoons per month to play a round of 18. I’m talking about guys like my friend Mike’s dad who had spend time looking for his golf shoes since the last time he played. These guys reach into their bag and might find a missing treasure that they haven’t seen in a month or two.

Golf costs beyond just getting the gear.

Green fees have risen in many cases since COVID. Riding a cart is bordering as a luxury. Playing golf has not gotten any cheaper with time.

Golf Balls at a Discount

I met a guy who was decent off the tee, but he wasn’t going to trot the fairways on the PGA Tour. However, he was ordering specialized golf balls at a very high rate. Most weekend golfers do not need to do this.

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Here’s what some popular golf balls cost per 36-pack compared to Costco’s Kirkland Signature:

  • Pro V1 (Recycled) — $49.99 total → $1.39 per ball
  • Callaway Chrome Soft (Option 1 – Refinished) — $56.99 total → $1.58 per ball
  • Kirkland Signature (Used/Recycled) — $32.02 total → $0.89 per ball

I love Callaway Chrome Soft for the feel around and on the green, but I can’t justify paying the current price of the golf balls. My play doesn’t match what I’d continue to spend. Plus, I’ve tried the Kirkland balls. They do the same job. Whether off the tee or around the green. I see these golf balls as a deal.

Let me know what you think!

Golf Gods and Personal Demons

“Golf Gods is not your every day golf brand, we cover the stuff other golf brands don’t dare to cover.” (as per golfgodsonline.com )

See No Evil + Hear No Evil + Do No Evil = Par

I came across Golf Gods clothing by way of a golf subscription box.

It sort of took me by surprise, even caught me off guard a bit. I believe in God Almighty and here was this brand boldly touting themselves as Golf Gods. I was taken aback.

Technically, that’s what good advertising, marketing and promotions should do. It should grab your attention and cause you to pause momentarily, considering what you just witnessed or experienced.

You hear a lot about the “golf gods” while on the course. A missed putt rolls in the cup and lips out like some spiritual force said it ain’t happening today. A favorite go-to club offers nothing but shanks and slices all day long. And who do many golfers blame? The golf gods seem to take the blame.

I shared on another blog about why I no longer by Nike brand gear, shoes, etc. Like I said, I believe in God. Nike is another god. I just can’t see buying the brand.

Golf Gods as a brand is nothing like that. In fact, Golf Gods the brand is just like it says. It is “not your everyday golf brand.” It’s tongue in cheek humor. It’s not saying wear our brand and be like Mike. It’s not that kind of brand.

Personally, I don’t see it as a contradiction. I see Nike as a conceptual brand, as I shared in a livestream for my YouTube channel’s Bible study. Nike’s playing off the characteristic traits of a Greek goddess of victory and using mythological references to its running shoes and trainers in particular. I see Golf Gods making a brand based on golfer idioms and taking that running joke as far as they can run with it.

Not Afraid to Say It with My Shirt

I believe you can say a lot with your t-shirts or hoodies. They’re not just fashion statements.

I wrote on this concept about message merch, discussing merch designs that I offer online through Zazzle and other online shops.

You can use your fashion statement to make a statement.

Your personal style can stand out and make a statement about your personal stance on different things. And I find that cool about fashion and society in this day and age.

I’ve been known to wear some controversial shirts from time to time.

I say to say it and show it with your shirt.

I love that what we wear on the golf course or anywhere for that matter can catch someone’s attention and draw eyeballs, even suspicious stares at times. I take some of what I wear as an ice breaker or a conversation piece. I still sport my favorite Not of This World (NTW) tee that simply says to the world: “I killed Jesus.” It really gets people talking or even asking questions. It definitely shocks some folks and causes others to ask me about my faith in God. And I’m cool with that.

Not Judging Anybody on Anything

Do I wear a lot of Golf Gods gear?

Truthfully, I don’t have much of it and most courses that I play have this collared shirt rule and dress code (imagine that). The gear that I do have from Golf Gods is mainly t-shirt and some accessories.

I don’t have time to judge someone else.

You show up in Nike from head to toe with the TW golf cap and a tiger head cover on your driver and I will still play with you. You show up in cutoff jeans with a wild-colored Grateful Dead-styled polo and I’ll tee it up with you.

Just show up. Tee it up. Have fun and swing it like you mean it.

You can even say it and show it with your shirt.

Keep swinging.


This post is not endorsed or sponsored by any brand. I receive no compensation from Golf Gods or any other brand for this post.